Perhaps the biggest issue is overcoming the fear of freestyling in a cypher. Some dancers who are introduced to these styles via a formal class may find it intimidating to create on the spot. If you're used to learning through routines and in a group, it can be incredibly nerve-wracking to allow the music to move you in new ways on your own. There's a safety in learning in numbers. With a group, you're not pressured to stand out and there are fewer eyes on you. So what we're seeing today in some circles are very talented dancers who are not cyphering because they are afraid of messing up in front of everyone else.
This puts a big damper on the growth of our culture. No one needs to be forced to go into a cypher. But if fewer people are free with their dance, then we're going to see a lot less creativity being shared. We won't be "talking" to each other with our dance. Instead, we'll have a lot of people standing around in a circle, afraid to share their true selves.
When you learn in a class, it can also make you lazy if you don't seek out other opportunities to train. You're easily given material to learn in a class. It's like being spoon-fed. But when you learn outside of a class, you have to seek out mentors and hunt for opportunities to train and session. It takes a more proactive mind to learn outside of a class. It isn't safe or within most of our comfort zones.
New school dancers have more opportunities to challenge themselves than ever before. But with more options, they have to be wiser about which training opportunities will sharpen their skills the most. Our dance education landscape has grown more expansive in recent years. But new schoolers need to stay hungry and push themselves. They can't get complacent. Otherwise, the raw energy of our culture will be lost.
Nice !!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibvJhscw6z8
ReplyDeleteI feel like another problem is that since alot of new school dancers learn from watching and from other people, one might see many people who have similar styles in a cypher. Alot of local korean dancers in my local area watch a famous Korean dancer named Nam Hyun Joon, and alot of us more seasoned dancers refer to them as Hyun Joon heads. Its just another example of how media and pop culture is making dancing more commonplace, however, it leads to many dancers following a "trend" in which person's style is in or out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! Now i'm a Hyun Joon head. The kid has a nice style.
ReplyDeleteIn LA there are hella professional dancers or profesional wannabees. So they probly feel more pressure to perfect choreography and display perfection. Rather than mess around and make up new moves. I think this headspace is worse in popping where theres pressure to be clean and in control.
Thats why I posted the link above. Its a chicago geto footworkin cypher. that style of dance and music is being written right now. the wild bebop energy allows them room to mess up without the crushing humiliation you might get in more technical cyphers. with room to mess up - theres room to do crazy shit and make up new moves. without perfecting them for hours in front of a mirror.